Histochemistry of mucosubstances in the mantle of fresh water mussel Parreysia corrugata var. nagpoorensis (Lea). I. Mucosubstances of the inner marginal fold

Abstract

Formol-calcium acetate-fixed sections of the mantle of Parreysia corrugata var. nagpoorensis (Lea) were subjected to various histochemical reactions for mucosubstances. The results of these reactions on the inner marginal fold indicate that it possesses two types of mucous cells secreting sulphomucins and sialomucins. The sulphated mucus is strongly alcianophilic. Its alcianophilia persists when the tissues are stained with Alcian blue in concentration of up to 0.5 M magnesium chloride. The basal inner epithelial cells of the fold contain glycogen while the remaining cells contain neutral muscosubstances. The role of the mucosubstances with reference to feeding is discussed.